Beardless Foreurs win in overtime

Pierre Maxime Poudrier of the Val-d'Or Foreurs hits the ice as his shot squeaks through Edmonton Oil King goalie Tristan Jarry for a goal during the second period of their Memorial Cup game at Budeweiser Gardens on Tuesday night. (DEREK RUTTAN, The London Free Press)

Ryan Pyette, QMI AGENCY

The Val d’Or Foreurs shaved off their playoff beards before facing the Edmonton Oil Kings at Budweiser Gardens.

They practically regrew them by the time the game was done.

But you know what?

It worked.

Anthony Richard scored on a breakaway 1:15 into double-overtime to give the Quebec league champs a 4-3 comeback win and a berth in Friday’s Memorial Cup semifinal, before what started as a crowd of 8,745.

Foreurs captain Sam Henley forced overtime with 4:11 left in regulation. Val d’Or also killed a penalty in the first overtime.

Forget “Fear the Beard.” Look out for the Fresh-Faced Crew.

“It’s a decision we took (Monday) night,” said Val d’Or scoring star Anthony Mantha, who was quiet once more. “Maybe for a new start. It’s nothing big. It could be (a superstition) depending who looks at it, but I think it’s just a new start for our team.”

That new reality was, for at least one game, without star overage defenceman Guillaume Gelinas, injured by Guelph winger Chadd Bauman’s third-period knee hit in the Storm’s 6-3 win Monday.

Gelinas, who had 92 regular season points and holds the Foreurs franchise record with 34 points in the playoffs, dressed for pre-game warmup, but didn’t do much moving around.

“It’s a knee contusion right now,” Val d’Or assistant coach Marco Pietroniro said. “He left the game (Monday) on crutches so he doesn’t put pressure on his leg. Time will tell (when he can play). We’re not going to jeopardize his heath for a hockey game. It’s not do-or-die right now.

“Our medical staff is doing its best so we can have him in the lineup (as soon as possible).”

Bauman, given a major penalty and game misconduct on the play, awaits word on whether or not he is eligible to play in Wednesday’s all-OHL game against the London Knights. A decision is expected to be rendered ahead of the game.

The Foreurs once more fell behind, this time by two goals in the first eight minutes. They leaned heavily on goalie Antoine Bibeau, who made 47 saves, including a first-period penalty shot by Edmonton’s Edgars Kulda.

The Foreurs, despite being doubled in shots through 40 minutes, managed to claw back and tied it.

Pierre-Maxime Poudrier, the veteran centre whose older brother Loik played on the 2012 Cup champion Shawinigan Cataractes, scored on a shorthanded breakaway on Oil Kings goalie Tristan Jarry for the only goal of the second period.